The present invention relates to a method for secure transfer of medical data to a mobile unit/terminal, where encoded medical data from a patient's doctor is made available via a central server in a network.
The described solution builds on a card that functions everywhere, wherever one has access to electricity, the interne or other technical equipment. The card can be kept together with credit cards and other ID cards. Health personnel will then be able to find the card as quickly as possible in case of an emergency. Health personnel can read the card either as standard text by breaking the seal, or electronically if they have access to a card reader. The card can therefore be read by doctors all over the world, regardless of whether they have an opportunity to scan it electronically or have access to other technical equipment.
The doctor will find all necessary medical info information written up according to the World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and World Health Organization Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification. Any doctor familiar with World Health Organization classifications will therefore understand the information on the health card. To ensure that the data is kept securely, servers are preferably kept in locked, safe rooms. Preferred encrypting, such as Secured Socket Layer (SSL) encryption is used, in the transfer of all health related information, and all medical data that are sent to the server are stored in an encrypted format. All medical and pharmaceutical information which is sent to the server is preferably only stored while the health card is produced. As soon as the card is finished, the information can be permanently deleted. Personal information such as name and address is preferably stored so that one can later be able to make contact.
Briefly, NO 314,207 concerns a method for secure transfer of patient data on a data carrier, where the patient data are encoded and transferred via a network to a central server that encompasses a database, whereupon the data are stored in a storage unit in the server, that encoded data are transformed and written out on a data carrier that is kept by the patient, and that encoded data can be read from the data carrier with the help of a reader unit and be transformed to a readable format by a decoder. Said data carrier comprises a wafer that is carried by a user or which is fastened to a user's personal equipment, where the wafer comprises a two-dimensional code as an information carrier in encrypted format that is printed onto the wafer.
During the processing of NO 314.207, EP A1 423893 was mentioned among others. In said EP application a method is mentioned for storing and monitoring of patient related information at a health station, in which each patient is equipped with a patient connected electronic data carrier that can be read and reprogrammed. Patient data is stored in a central computer, both locally in the patient connected electronic data carrier and centrally in a central computer, where locally stored data for predetermined situations are compared with data that are centrally stored, and that the two types of data are harmonised if necessary.
Furthermore, DE A1 19840005 was highlighted, where a communication system is described with an input unit and an output unit, and also a memory storage unit for storage of patient data. The input unit is connected via an interface to terminals for bar code cards, patient circuit cards, and via another interface to the memory storage unit with the help of a communication terminal. The system is intended for use in hospitals and medical administration systems.
The present invention is consequently a further development of an international concept which, during medical treatment, places the safety of the patient in focus. With the system, a better diagnosis and basis for treatment are provided, and thereby also the correct medication wherever the patient is in the world. It is often a problem in emergency situations that the doctor in charge does not know anything about the medical history of the patient, the patient's use of medicines or allergies/reactions to medicines. This is particularly relevant when falling ill abroad.
Such vital information can be decisive to avoid the wrong treatment and the wrong medicine. This is a problem which is steadily on the increase and unfortunately may result in the death of patients.
One aspect of the present invention is consequently to make patient data even more accessible to the to a doctor who treats the patient. In addition, the system shall also be able to provide protection for the patient. Information will contain the diagnosis, illnesses/injuries, use of medication and allergies or reactions to medication of the patient.
Advantages with the system are that it can function as quality assurance for doctors or nurses in the daily treatment in an institution, at home visits or at ordinary visits by a doctor. If anything should happen, for example abroad, a person who needs treatment can contact a doctor, an emergency and accident facility or hospital, which is connected to the system. The information can thereafter be read and will thereby provide direct information about the medical data of the patient and the treatment can commence immediately.
In connection to the centrally placed database, a complete medication database can be arranged, which, for example, can demonstrate harmful interactions between different medicines. Thus, an automatic warning can be generated if a doctor tries to prescribe medicines that react with the other medicines a patient may take.
An object of the present invention is to provide a solution for the transfer of patient information, and which is part of the above mentioned system, to a mobile unit/terminal or the like.
The transfer of patient information can be accomplished by the following steps:    a) ordering transfer of encoded information to a mobile unit/terminal in that a request is sent to the central server,    b) generating encoded information containing medical data in the central server,    c) transfer transferring information in encrypted and encoded format from the server to the mobile unit/terminal after the user has authenticated himself,    d) storing and protecting the encoded information in the mobile unit/terminal,    e) transforming the encoded information to a readable format in that the user authenticates himself using a personal code that is sent from the mobile unit/terminal to the server, whereupon the ID is verified in the server, and that encoded information is sent to the server for decoding, and    f) transferring a picture containing user-readable text from the server to the mobile unit/terminal.
The user must preferably submit a password connected to his ID before encoded information is generated in step a). After encoded information is generated in step b), a notice can be sent to said user's mobile unit and/or e-mail address that medical data is available, and the user can reply to said notice and in step c) insert his ID and password for authentication.
After authentication has been approved by the server in step c), and encoded information is transferred to the mobile unit, the user can protect transferred data by putting in a personal code. To bring out the picture that is transferred to the mobile unit in step f), the user can preferably register correct ID and personal code.
The decoded information can also contain a programme code that can be used.
It is preferred that the encoding is based on the ICD-10 codes of the World Health Organization and the international code system for medicines ATC of the World Health Organization. For transfer of data, 128-bit SSL encryption is preferably used, and in this connection it is preferred to use telephones that comply with the Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) 2.0 specification for the use of software on embedded devices.
Ordering of encoded information to the mobile unit can be carried out in connection with ordering of a medical card.